


secret santa ficlets

by annalyia



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Gift Fic, Mass Effect Secret Santa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 16:28:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13391739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annalyia/pseuds/annalyia
Summary: a couple of fics for crappy-art-blog for the mass effect holiday cheer





	1. time and time again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a typical day in the life of julien shepard

Julien Shepard blinks slowly, raises a hand to rub sleep from her eyes.  With her free hand, she pats the bed next to her, wincing as she overextends her muscles a little.  (The pain isn’t as bad as it used to be, but it’s not perfect.)  She frowns and lazily rolls her head to the side when she feels merely the sheets beneath her fingertips. 

Kaidan is already up.

Sitting up, she does her best to stretch without straining herself too much.  It’s been a while since the final battle, since the end, but not long enough for her to be fully healed.

Getting out of bed gets easier every day.  Instead of the contraption that used to be required to raise herself, Shepard has gained enough strength back that she can stand.  She still needs a crutch to move around, though. 

After slowly standing, she bounces on the balls of her feet for a moment, testing her balance.

It doesn’t go as well as it could have; she grips her night stand for support as she starts to fall.  Sighing, she grabs her crutch, slips her arm into the loops and slowly makes her way to the bathroom connected to her and Kaidan’s bedroom.  She leans against the counter, grabs a ponytail holder, and pulls her hair up in a messy bun.  She dabs on a little bit of makeup—just some cover up to make her scars stand out a little less.   She brushes her teeth and swishes around some mouthwash.

It’s a pretty normal morning.

Shepard smiles softly, glad that something this mundane can be considered normal for her.  As she pulls on a pair of leggings and an oversized sweatshirt, she muses over what used to be considered a normal morning. 

She’d wake up on the _Normandy_ , feed her space hamster and her fish, and get ready.  Her routine was mostly the same, but instead of having every morning free to herself like she does now, she’d rush down to the mess hall and greet her crew before endless meetings and missions that left her bone dead tired every day.  Now, she lazes around the flat she and Kaidan share, watching the clouds roll by and savoring the gentle breezes and smell of the water.  She’s bone dead tired for different reasons.  Once a week she visits the nearby medical center and has a routine checkup and physical therapy, just to make sure that she’s still healing properly and there aren’t any weird aftereffects of destroying the Reapers. 

This morning in particular, she pulls on a pair of fuzzy socks over her cold toes.  She then leisurely pads her way down the hall before reaching the kitchen.  She raises a hand to her mouth, covering a yawn as she gets a mug from the cabinets.  Placing it under the coffee maker, she chooses a flavor at random and takes a deep breath in through her nose, enjoying the subtle coffee smell. 

Once her coffee finishes pouring, Shepard cradles the cup in her hands, leaning against the counter to support herself and inhaling the scent again.  She moves from the kitchen, through the living room, and out to the deck.  There are a couple comfy chairs and a couch out there.  She removes her arm from her crutch and curls up in the arm chair, taking a sip from her coffee and listening to the hum of the world around her. 

The French door slides open as someone joins Shepard on the patio.

“Good morning, Jules,” Kaidan says as he walks outside.  He smiles at her as he sits in the armchair opposite hers.  “Mind if I have a taste?”

She hands him her coffee, but not without telling him to make his own.  “Did you sleep well?” she asks.

He nods, still staring out over the railing.  “Yeah, just fine.  What about you?”

“I always sleep well with you here.”

Kaidan meets her eyes, his smile growing at her words.  “I have to say the same.”

She blushes a little.  Kaidan has always known what to say.  “Want to go on a walk with me today?” Shepard asks.  “Yesterday, the doctor told me that I should pick up a short walk every day or so.”

“Of course.  Since I’ve got the day off, I should probably do something to get out of the house,” Kaidan replies.  “Can I get some coffee first?”

Shepard nods.  “We’ve got time.”  She smiles to herself as Kaidan runs off to grab some coffee.

Time.

What a strange concept. 

After being trapped and constrained and pressured by time for so long, it’s strange to be able to relax, to have a few moments (or a lot of moments) to herself.  To be able to sit down for longer than a second before having to save someone or some planet.  To be able to just be. 

“Everything okay?”

Shepard is brought back to reality by Kaidan’s concerned voice in her ear and his hand on her shoulder.  “Yeah, I’m fine.  Just thinking.”

“About what?” Kaidan asks as he takes his seat again.  “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he adds.  “I’m just here to listen if you need it.”

“The usual.”

Kaidan’s lips curve into a small amused smile.  “It is strange,” he muses.  “But at least now we don’t have to worry about Joker interrupting anything over the coms.”

“You know you miss that,” she says.

“Yeah, but I think I like this privacy just a little bit better.”

They finish the rest of their coffee in silence, choosing to watch the world instead.

“Ready?”

Shepard nods.  Kaidan extends his hand to her, helping her up and handing her crutch to her.  She stretches as she stands, stiff from sitting in her chair.  She waves away Kaidan’s assistance, slipping on her crutch and walking back into their apartment herself.  She slips on a pair of shoes while Kaidan grabs a light jacket and his shoes.  Together, they walk out of their flat, hands loosely entwined as they wander down the sidewalk. 

“What do you miss the most?” Kaidan asks.  He knows that she’s been going, going, going her entire life.  From growing up on space ships and watching her parents work, to enlisting in the Alliance as soon as she was able.  Kaidan, on the other hand, knew a nice, calm, and happy life before the Alliance.  Spending time with his parents doing normal kid things.  BAaT camp aside, Kaidan knows that he was lucky growing up.

Shepard slows down a little, taking more deliberate steps.  “I miss having everyone right there.  My closest friends and confidants right there whenever I needed them.”  She smiles at Kaidan, blue eyes shining.  “It’s not that I don’t love you, or that I don’t love having you around, it’s just that I miss them.  I miss how Tali could talk about any little piece of technology that we found.  How she got excited whenever we went to new planets and she saw all the beautiful things the galaxy has to offer.  I miss the way Mordin shuffled around the lab, talking to himself in that weird, clipped way.  I miss how Joker and EDI would butt in on any conversation and then swear that they weren’t listening in on us.  How they’d try really hard to muffle their laughter.”  She sighs.  “I miss my bed and my hamster and my fish and always waking up knowing what I was going to do that day.” 

She stops and Kaidan places a hand on the small of her back.  “I’m sorry,” he says.  “I shouldn’t have pressed.” 

Shepard lays her free hand on Kaidan’s shoulder, looks up at him.  “No, it’s fine.  Doc says that I should be more open about it, and who better to talk to than someone who was there with me?”  She smiles weakly and starts to walk again. 

They aren’t the only people taking advantage of this nice day in Vancouver.  It’s not warm enough to swim at any of the beaches, but there are plenty of people also out on walks, be it by themselves, with others, or with a pet.  The air is cool and crisp, but there isn’t too much of a breeze, so it’s enjoyable enough.  Shepard watches those people.  They might not notice her, but she takes in everything she can see of them.  There’s a cute young couple walking a big dog.  They chat amicably with each other, eyes gleaming with affection for each other.  A young man runs by, his expression showing how concentrated he is on his movement.  A little girl tugs excitedly on her dad’s hand and points up at the birds in the trees, a gap-toothed smile on her freckled face as she listens to their songs. 

Shepard knows that she was in a medically-induced coma for a while, but it’s still strange to her.  She knows that the world has had time to rebuild—she’s watched it happen—but it’s still odd.  The world was quick to rebuild. 

“Everything okay, Jules?” Kaidan asks again, taking her hand in his. 

“They’re all acting like nothing ever happened,” she says.

“Hm?”

“This place used to be rubble, used to be inaccessible to anyone.  And yet these people are acting like it’s always been this way.  It’s weird, Kaidan,” she says.  “Everything used to be a battle field—”

“They remember, Jules,” he says softly, interrupting her.  “But at the same time, wouldn’t you rather them be this happy?  This normal?  That’s why we did what we did, y’know?  So that these people could live happy and normal lives, without the fear of the Reapers looming over their heads forever.”  He squeezes her hand gently.  “That’s what makes this worth it.”

Shepard takes a deep breath before letting it out her nose.  She knows that Kaidan’s right.  But that doesn’t mean she’s comfortable yet. 

“Julien?”

She turns her head to face him.  “Yes?”

“It’s gonna be okay.” 

They’ve reached the door to their apartment again, having made their way around the small block it’s located on.  Kaidan stops Shepard before she enters.  He cups her face in his hands, makes her look at him.  “I promise.”

 A corner of her mouth tugs up in a tired smile.  But it’s still a smile, and Kaidan considers that a victory.  He leans in and gently kisses that tired mouth, that tired smile.  “I love you,” he says.

“I love you, too,” she tells him.

“Now, how about we head inside and get some lunch?”


	2. merry christmas?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> liam loves to surprise ryder. hopefully this one goes better than the last

“Ryder!”

Sara Ryder rolls over in her bed, refusing to open her eyes.

“Sara!”

She still doesn’t respond.

“Sara Adhara Ryder, get up!”

One eye opens at her full name, but she doesn’t say anything. 

“There’s my girl,” Liam says.  Now that she can see him, Ryder takes in Liam’s appearance.  There’s a Santa hat on his head (she thinks she notices bobby pins holding it in place). 

“What’s with the get up?” she mumbles, both eyes open now. 

“Ryder, please.  Don’t tell me you don’t know what day it is.”

“Liam, please.  I can’t believe you expect me to know what day it is.”

“Sara,” Liam whines, drawing out both the a’s in her name.  “Sara, please.  I’m wearing a Santa Claus hat for crying out loud.”

“I see that.”

“So…what day do you think it is?”

“Could it, oh, I don’t know, maybe be Christmas?” she asks sarcastically as she sits up and rubs the sleep from her eyes. 

“There you go!” Liam crows.  “I always knew you were a smart girl.”

“Don’t patronize me,” Ryder fusses.  “How do you even know it’s Christmas?”  Her curiosity is genuine.  How could Liam possibly know that it is Christmas?  She isn’t surprised with his surprise, however.  This is just like him; come up with some silly or crazy scheme but never really think it through, just hope for the best.

“Well, the Nexus still measures time the same way we did back in the Milky Way, y’know?  So, uh, last time we were there I checked up on a couple things, and figured out just about when Christmas would be.”

“Why?”

Liam seems a little taken aback.  “Why what?”

“Why Christmas?”

He shrugs.  “It’s a good holiday.  Even if you don’t really believe in all that religion stuff, it’s a good way to spend time with friends, family, the people you love.  It’s nice to give someone something.”

Ryder can see that Liam looks a little defeated, almost like he’s unsure if this was a good idea.  His shoulders slump and his eyes turn down.  He twists his hands nervously together.  “Hey,” she says softly.  Liam brings his eyes to hers again, a little apprehensive.  “Thank you.”  She places a hand on his cheek and brings his mouth to hers, giving him a sweet kiss. 

Liam immediately brightens up at the gesture, his previous excitement returned.  “So, I went ahead and told the rest of the crew before today, but I wanted to keep it a surprise for you.  Everyone else is already up and ready whenever you decide crawl out of bed.”

“Thanks,” Ryder says sardonically, still waking up.  She runs a hand through her short hair before shaking her head.  “Wait a second.”  She frowns.  “I don’t have a present for anyone.”

“Trust me, Ryder, you don’t need one,” Liam reassures her.

“But you probably aren’t the only person who got me anything.”

“Sara.”  He says her name softly, gently, sweetly.  “I told everybody not to really worry about presents.  Especially because trying to explain the history of the day to Jaal was more difficult than I thought it was going to be, so I just kind of gave up on that.  It’s more of the spirit of the day.  I just wanted all of us to have a day where we could spend time together and I figured a holiday was a good excuse.  Besides, you can always give me a present later, if you’re that upset about it,” he adds with a wink. 

Ryder half-heartedly tries to slap Liam.  “Or I could just give it to you now.”  She puts her hand on the back of his neck and brings his mouth to hers, giving him deep kiss.  She pulls his bottom lip between her teeth (earning a soft groan) and nibbles her way down his neck, just like she knows he likes it.  But then she pulls away quicker than Liam prefers and his lips search for hers.  “Didn’t you say that people were waiting for us?”

“Ryder,” Liam whines.  “You can’t just do me like that.”

She climbs out of bed, pads over to her dresser, and changes out of her pajamas before turning back to him.  “Watch me,” she says with a wink.  She saunters towards the door, Liam hot on her heels. 

“Not so fast,” he murmurs as he catches her before the door can open.  He presses his lips to hers in a sweet kiss that doesn’t last nearly as long as either of them would like.  “You’re amazing, Sara Ryder,” he tells her.

“As are you, Liam Kosta.”

He grins.  “Good to know it’s not just me.”

“Oh, shove it,” she says as she playfully pushes him away.  “But isn’t the rest of the crew waiting for us?”

“Yeah.”  Liam takes Ryder’s hand, intertwining their fingers and leading her through the ship. 

“Took you long enough,” Ceres, her brother, says as Liam and Sara walk up the ramp to the vidcon area.  “Good to know you’re comfortable enough in that huge bedroom.”  He waggles his eyebrows suggestively at his sister. 

Sara, in return, sits on her brother.  “Wow, this chair is _so_ comfortable,” she says over his muffled complaints.  “But why is my chair talking?  I didn’t know we’d invented those.”

“I hate this,” Ceres deadpans.

“Is this a traditional Christmas activity?” Jaal asks.  “I do not feel comfortable sitting on any of you.”

“Nah, it’s more of a traditional sibling activity,” Sara explains as she gets off her brother and instead sits in Liam’s lap. 

“Liam gave me an overview of the holiday, but I still do not fully understand.  Is this celebrated galaxy-wide in the Milky Way, or is it just humans?”

“We have things like it in asari culture,” Peebee says.  Lexi nods to affirm.

“Same with the turians,” Vetra adds.

“Salarians have a week out of the year where we spend time with our families, being sure to see everyone and giving every person a token of our gratitude to them.  Family isn’t necessarily important in our culture in the same ways it is in others, but we like to celebrate this” Kallo explains.

“Krogan don’t really do holidays,” Drack rumbles.  “We’re more into shooting each other.”

Jaal frowns.

“There are a couple other holidays around the same time as Christmas on the human calendar,” Ryder says.  “There’s the Jewish one of Hanukah and another one called Kwanza.  But I guess Christmas is easier because the celebration technically only lasts a day and the others last for at least a week.”

“If the main thing about Christmas is the practice of gift-giving, why do none of us have gifts for the others?”  Jaal seems rather concerned about this.

“Gifts don’t always have to be physical,” Cora says.  “Gifts can be things like spending time together, sharing stories and experiences.”

“Exactly!” Suvi says.  “My family focused a lot on the religious side, and so I can say that, while the physical gifts are nice, the whole point of this holiday is to make sure the people you care about know that.  Gift giving is just an easy way to do that.”

Jaal nods.  “I think I understand it now.”  He sits up a little straighter and begins to tell a story about when he was a kid.  Jaal stifles laughter as he describes the different ridiculous things that he and his siblings did as children.

“One time Sid and a couple friends went for a joyride,” Vetra says.  “The only reason they didn’t get arrested is because she started crying and came up with some sob story about how they were running away from someone who was trying to kidnap them or, hell, I don’t even remember anymore.  All that I know is that Sid was sobbing so hard that the officer felt uncomfortable and gave her and her friends a ride home and let them off without even a warning.”

A few more stories are exchanged; Cora talks about being with the asari huntresses, Lexi about the trouble she and her classmates got into in med school, Drack about when Kesh was young.  Ceres offers a couple embarrassing things that Sara did when they were kids. 

Sara curls up against Liam, resting her head against his shoulder, nose brushing his neck.  “Thanks,” she whispers as Gil relates a tale about his first posting on a ship.  “This is perfect.” 

“Of course,” Liam replies, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.  “Merry Christmas, Ryder.”

“Merry Christmas, Liam.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had so much fun writing your shepard and your ryder! i hope you enjoy these just as much as i do :)
> 
> comments and kudos are always appreciated :D


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